The lighted drafting table or tracing table of the prior art are heavy, voluminous, and generally cumbersome structures with a great deal of unused inside space due to the great distance required between the light and the upper transparent or translucent work surface in order to provide even illumination of the latter. When they are used on a desktop or on top of a regular drafting table, their great depth raises the level of the work surface to an uncomfortable level for the draftsman.
There is a need for a more compact, lighted drafting table that can be used as a comfortable drafting station when placed on a desktop.